diff --git a/app/multitenant/consul_client.go b/app/multitenant/consul_client.go
index 222b5f5d4..a0a47676f 100644
--- a/app/multitenant/consul_client.go
+++ b/app/multitenant/consul_client.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ type ConsulClient interface {
 	Get(key string, out interface{}) error
 	CAS(key string, out interface{}, f CASCallback) error
 	WatchPrefix(prefix string, out interface{}, done chan struct{}, f func(string, interface{}) bool)
+	DeleteSelected(prefix string, out interface{}, f func(string, interface{}) bool) error
 }
 
 // CASCallback is the type of the callback to CAS.  If err is nil, out must be non-nil.
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ type kv interface {
 	CAS(p *consul.KVPair, q *consul.WriteOptions) (bool, *consul.WriteMeta, error)
 	Get(key string, q *consul.QueryOptions) (*consul.KVPair, *consul.QueryMeta, error)
 	List(prefix string, q *consul.QueryOptions) (consul.KVPairs, *consul.QueryMeta, error)
+	Delete(key string, w *consul.WriteOptions) (*consul.WriteMeta, error)
 }
 
 type consulClient struct {
@@ -179,3 +181,22 @@ func (c *consulClient) WatchPrefix(prefix string, out interface{}, done chan str
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func (c *consulClient) DeleteSelected(prefix string, out interface{}, f func(string, interface{}) bool) error {
+	kvps, _, err := c.kv.List(prefix, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, kvp := range kvps {
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(kvp.Value)).Decode(out); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error deserialising %s: %v", kvp.Key, err)
+		}
+		if f(kvp.Key, out) {
+			_, err := c.kv.Delete(kvp.Key, nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Error deleting %s: %v", kvp.Key, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router.go b/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router.go
index 4c01b104a..ec53a82d8 100644
--- a/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router.go
+++ b/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router.go
@@ -103,13 +103,16 @@ func NewConsulPipeRouter(client ConsulClient, prefix, advertise string, userIDer
 
 		quit: make(chan struct{}),
 	}
-	pipeRouter.wait.Add(2)
-	go pipeRouter.watchAll()
-	go pipeRouter.actor()
-	go pipeRouter.privateAPI()
 	return pipeRouter
 }
 
+func (pr *consulPipeRouter) Start() {
+	pr.wait.Add(2)
+	go pr.watchAll()
+	go pr.actor()
+	go pr.privateAPI()
+}
+
 func (pr *consulPipeRouter) Stop() {
 	close(pr.quit)
 	pr.wait.Wait()
@@ -364,6 +367,15 @@ func (pr *consulPipeRouter) Delete(ctx context.Context, id string) error {
 	})
 }
 
+// Remove any pipe entries in Consul that were deleted a while ago.
+func (pr *consulPipeRouter) CleanUp() error {
+	threshold := time.Now().Add(-gcTimeout)
+	return pr.client.DeleteSelected(pr.prefix, &consulPipe{}, func(key string, value interface{}) bool {
+		cp := *value.(*consulPipe)
+		return !cp.DeletedAt.IsZero() && cp.DeletedAt.Before(threshold)
+	})
+}
+
 // A bridgeConnection represents a connection between two pipe router replicas.
 // They are created & destroyed in response to events from consul, which in turn
 // are triggered when UIs or Probes connect to various pipe routers.
diff --git a/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router_internal_test.go b/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router_internal_test.go
index 32e05466d..d55e657d0 100644
--- a/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router_internal_test.go
+++ b/app/multitenant/consul_pipe_router_internal_test.go
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ func TestPipeRouter(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for i := 0; i < replicas; i++ {
 		pr := NewConsulPipeRouter(consul, "", fmt.Sprintf("127.0.0.1:44%02d", i), NoopUserIDer)
+		pr.Start()
 		defer pr.Stop()
 		pt.prs = append(pt.prs, pr)
 	}
diff --git a/app/multitenant/mock_consul_client_internal_test.go b/app/multitenant/mock_consul_client_internal_test.go
index 237f76aa0..9052ea21c 100644
--- a/app/multitenant/mock_consul_client_internal_test.go
+++ b/app/multitenant/mock_consul_client_internal_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ func (m *mockKV) CAS(p *consul.KVPair, q *consul.WriteOptions) (bool, *consul.Wr
 	return true, nil, nil
 }
 
+func (m *mockKV) Delete(key string, q *consul.WriteOptions) (*consul.WriteMeta, error) {
+	m.mtx.Lock()
+	delete(m.kvps, key)
+	m.mtx.Unlock()
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
 func (m *mockKV) Get(key string, q *consul.QueryOptions) (*consul.KVPair, *consul.QueryMeta, error) {
 	m.mtx.Lock()
 	defer m.mtx.Unlock()
diff --git a/app/pipe_router.go b/app/pipe_router.go
index 273593175..118cd0fb0 100644
--- a/app/pipe_router.go
+++ b/app/pipe_router.go
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ type PipeRouter interface {
 	Get(context.Context, string, End) (xfer.Pipe, io.ReadWriter, error)
 	Release(context.Context, string, End) error
 	Delete(context.Context, string) error
+	CleanUp() error
+	Start()
 	Stop()
 }
 
@@ -81,11 +83,14 @@ func NewLocalPipeRouter() PipeRouter {
 		quit:  make(chan struct{}),
 		pipes: map[string]*pipe{},
 	}
-	pipeRouter.wait.Add(1)
-	go pipeRouter.gcLoop()
 	return pipeRouter
 }
 
+func (pr *localPipeRouter) Start() {
+	pr.wait.Add(1)
+	go pr.gcLoop()
+}
+
 func (pr *localPipeRouter) Exists(_ context.Context, id string) (bool, error) {
 	pr.Lock()
 	defer pr.Unlock()
@@ -151,6 +156,10 @@ func (pr *localPipeRouter) Delete(_ context.Context, id string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (pr *localPipeRouter) CleanUp() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (pr *localPipeRouter) Stop() {
 	close(pr.quit)
 	pr.wait.Wait()
diff --git a/app/pipes_internal_test.go b/app/pipes_internal_test.go
index da74b8aac..5d465e555 100644
--- a/app/pipes_internal_test.go
+++ b/app/pipes_internal_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ func TestPipeTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	pr := NewLocalPipeRouter().(*localPipeRouter)
 	RegisterPipeRoutes(router, pr)
-	pr.Stop() // we don't want the loop running in the background
 
 	mtime.NowForce(time.Now())
 	defer mtime.NowReset()
@@ -71,6 +70,7 @@ func TestPipeClose(t *testing.T) {
 	router := mux.NewRouter()
 	pr := NewLocalPipeRouter()
 	RegisterPipeRoutes(router, pr)
+	pr.Start()
 	defer pr.Stop()
 
 	server := httptest.NewServer(router)
diff --git a/prog/app.go b/prog/app.go
index 31c7847ed..2a96e7bb7 100644
--- a/prog/app.go
+++ b/prog/app.go
@@ -267,6 +267,12 @@ func appMain(flags appFlags) {
 		log.Fatalf("Error creating pipe router: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
+	if flags.cleanupPipesOnly {
+		pipeRouter.CleanUp()
+		return
+	}
+
+	pipeRouter.Start()
 
 	// Start background version checking
 	checkpoint.CheckInterval(&checkpoint.CheckParams{
diff --git a/prog/main.go b/prog/main.go
index e44755228..50ddb9918 100644
--- a/prog/main.go
+++ b/prog/main.go
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ type appFlags struct {
 	controlRouterURL          string
 	controlRPCTimeout         time.Duration
 	pipeRouterURL             string
+	cleanupPipesOnly          bool
 	natsHostname              string
 	memcachedHostname         string
 	memcachedTimeout          time.Duration
@@ -381,6 +382,7 @@ func setupFlags(flags *flags) {
 	flag.StringVar(&flags.app.controlRouterURL, "app.control.router", "local", "Control router to use (local or sqs)")
 	flag.DurationVar(&flags.app.controlRPCTimeout, "app.control.rpctimeout", time.Minute, "Timeout for control RPC")
 	flag.StringVar(&flags.app.pipeRouterURL, "app.pipe.router", "local", "Pipe router to use (local)")
+	flag.BoolVar(&flags.app.cleanupPipesOnly, "app.pipe.cleanup-only", false, "Clean up deleted pipes and exit")
 	flag.StringVar(&flags.app.natsHostname, "app.nats", "", "Hostname for NATS service to use for shortcut reports.  If empty, shortcut reporting will be disabled.")
 	flag.StringVar(&flags.app.memcachedHostname, "app.memcached.hostname", "", "Hostname for memcached service to use when caching reports.  If empty, no memcached will be used.")
 	flag.DurationVar(&flags.app.memcachedTimeout, "app.memcached.timeout", 100*time.Millisecond, "Maximum time to wait before giving up on memcached requests.")